This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
As will be appreciated, oil and natural gas have a profound effect on modern economies and societies. Indeed, devices and systems that depend on oil and natural gas are ubiquitous. For instance, oil and natural gas are used for fuel in a wide variety of vehicles, such as cars, airplanes, boats, and the like. Further, oil and natural gas are frequently used to heat homes during winter, to generate electricity, and to manufacture an astonishing array of everyday products.
In order to meet the demand for such natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in searching for and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Further, such systems generally include a wellhead assembly through which the resource is extracted. These wellhead assemblies may include a wide variety of components, such as various casings, valves, fluid conduits, and the like, that control drilling and/or extraction operations.
To extract the resources from a well, a drilling riser may extend from the well to a rig. For example, in a subsea well, the drilling riser may extend from the seafloor up to a rig on the surface of the sea. A typical drilling riser may include a flanged assembly formed from steel, and the drilling riser may perform multiple functions. In addition to transporting drilling fluid into the well, the riser may provide pipes to allow drilling fluids, mud, and cuttings to flow up from the well.
The riser is typically constructed by securing riser segments together via a flanged connection. Specifically, a first riser segment may be lowered from the rig into the sea. A subsequent riser segment may then be secured to the first segment, before lowering the entire stack. In this manner, a riser of a desired length may be formed. Proper tracking and management of riser segments may extend the useful life of each segment. For example, riser segments positioned at greater depths may experience greater stress than riser segments positioned at shallower depths. Consequently, riser segments may be rotated through various depths to evenly distribute the loads across an inventory of riser segments. Unfortunately, because typical riser segment tracking and management is performed manually, mistakes regarding riser segment deployment may be introduced. Such mistakes may result in decreased riser segment longevity and increased costs.